One of the most common questions I get, which also discloses a common fear among some photographers, is the use of a Flash or Speedlight. For many people, just relying on “auto” settings, or not understanding how to control the flash can lead to less than ideal photos. Many people give up and only use flash as a last resort (i.e. when it’s just too dark to get an image any other way). Although many cameras come with a built in “onboard” flash, it’s still often an underused tool in a photographer’s arsenal. Knowing how to properly use a flash will allow you to compensate for harsh lighting, highlight areas of your photo, increase contrast, direct attention where you’d like, put catchlights in eyes, enrich color, stop motion, give your portraits a polished look and even control the light in the BACKGROUND of your photo.
Once I learned the basics of speedlights, I was impressed with the results and the new opportunities that it opened up for me. Since then, my photography has never been the same. Now, I carry around a flash (HERE’S A LINK TO MY GEAR) with me ALL the time. The gear that I use will function with just about any camera brand. The speedlight alone is about as heavy as my camera (so it had better be worth it), but the value I get from it is, in certain situations, absolutely indispensable.
Check out the video for a step by step tutorial on using a speedlight.
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